1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of agriculture and pertains particularly to methods and apparatus for harvesting produce from trees.
2. Discussion of the State of the Art
In tropical countries, harvesting coconuts is an important agricultural function. The importance of exported coconuts is highlighted primarily by its importance in local and international markets, including many domestic, commercial, and industrial uses. At the time of this writing the value of coconuts worldwide is rising, causing an increase in production rates. The meat of the coconut is found in many recipes. The kernel of the coconut is utilized for making oil, and the shell of the coconut is utilized in charcoal production. Coir of the coconut (husk fiber) is used in the manufacture of door mats, floor mats, brushes, mattresses, filler materials for organic compounds, coir brick for plantation, handicrafts and so on. Coir may be harvested from ripe (brown coir) or unripe (white coir) coconuts. The white coir may be used for manufacturing finer brushes, string, rope, and fishing nets.
In current art, coconut harvesting is largely a manual operation requiring agricultural workers to climb up the trees in order to access the coconuts at the top. Workers have been in high demand for coconut harvesting, but more recently have dwindled in numbers due to other opportunities becoming available in their local areas. This puts a strain on product output and contributes to higher demand and higher prices on the export market. Manual harvesting of coconuts carries risks in that the workers must climb the trees to harvest. Additional risk to workers includes a possibility of local poisonous insects being in the coconut clusters being harvested.
More recently, attempts have been made to introduce semi-automatic machines that may be manually or remotely controlled to harvest coconuts. Such known machines are modular machines that may be attached to the trunk of a coconut tree, whereby a retractable arm having a cutting or clipping head may be operated by a human who carries and attaches the machine to the tree to cut the coconuts from the tree. A challenge with this approach is that many tree trunks have structure and anomalies that may limit this type of semi-automated harvesting. Other drawbacks include vulnerable mechanics of the known machines, and poor accuracy of the machine cutting or harvesting arm, which are pneumatic and require fluid for retraction and extension.
Therefore, what is needed in the art is a coconut harvester that overcomes the drawbacks stated above and can be operated without engaging the trunk of the coconut tree.